§ 2-35. Rules of order; minutes; order of business.

(a)

Council meetings shall be held under the usual parliamentary rules of order. All minutes of the proceedings of the council shall be entered in a journal or book of minutes kept for that purpose which shall be open to inspection by all persons.

(b)

Order of business at meetings may be as follows:

(1)

Call to order.

(2)

Roll call.

(3)

Reading and approving of minutes of prior meeting.

(4)

Reports of standing committees.

(5)

Reports of special committees.

(6)

Reports of officers.

(7)

Hearings on petitions, applications, complaints, appeals, communications and similar matter.

(8)

Auditing accounts.

(9)

Introduction of and action on ordinances, resolutions, orders and other business.

(10)

Miscellaneous business.

(c)

No member shall speak more than twice on the same subject without permission of the presiding officer.

(d)

No person not a member of the council shall be allowed to address the council while in session without the permission of the presiding officer. Each person's address to the council shall be limited to a total of five minutes.

(e)

Motions shall be reduced to writing when required by the presiding officer of the council or any member of the council. All resolutions and ordinances shall be in writing.

(f)

Every officer whose duty it is to report at the regular meetings of the council who shall be in default thereof may be fined at the discretion of the council.

(g)

Motions to reconsider must be by a member who votes with the majority, and at the same or next succeeding meeting of the council.

(h)

Whenever it shall be required by one or more members the "yeas" and "nays" shall be recorded; and any member may call for a division on any question.

(i)

All questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer of the council with the right of appeal to the council by any member.

(j)

The presiding officer of the council may, at his discretion, call any member to take the chair, to allow him to address the council, make a motion or discuss any other matter at issue.

(k)

Motions to lay any matter on the table shall be first in order; and on all questions, the last amendment, the most distant day and the largest sum shall be first put.

(l)

A motion for adjournment shall always be in order.

(m)

The chairperson of each respective committee, or the councilmember acting for him, shall submit or make all reports to the council when so requested by the presiding officer or any member of the council.

(n)

All ordinances, resolution or propositions submitted to the council that require the expenditure of money shall lie over until the next meeting; provided, that such ordinances, resolutions or propositions may be considered earlier by unanimous consent of the council; and provided further, that this rule shall not apply to the current expenses of, or contracts previously made with, or regular salaries of officers or wages of employees of the city.

(o)

The clerk, engineer, attorney, and chief of police and other city officers or employees, shall, when requested, attend all meetings of the council and shall remain in the council room for such length of time as the council may direct.

(p)

No ordinances or resolution of a permanent nature shall be adopted at the meeting at which it is introduced, unless unanimous consent is obtained for the immediate consideration of such ordinance or resolution, such consent shall be by roll call and the vote thereon spread on the minutes.

(q)

Except to the extent set forth in this article, the most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall apply in those situations that cannot be resolved by the rules set out in this article.

(r)

The rules of the council may be amended in the same manner as any other ordinances of general and permanent operation. The rules of the council may be temporarily suspended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

(Code 1942, § 16; Ord. No. 2008-7, 11-3-2008)

State law reference

Authority to determine rules of procedure, Code of Ala. 1975, § 11-43-52.